AUSTRAC – Page 2 – Financial Treason & Crime

Mostafa Rachwani, 20 October 2020

The Crown Resorts chairman, Helen Coonan, has admitted the company facilitated money laundering at its Melbourne casino but denied it was “turning a blind eye” to criminal activity instead blaming it on “ineptitude”.

The concession was made at the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority’s inquiry into Crown’s suitability to hold a Sydney casino licence.

Coonan was asked on Tuesday about Crown’s relationship with SunCity, a high-roller junket partner with alleged criminal links. She was challenged on why Crown did not shut down SunCity’s private room in Melbourne after evidence emerged of money laundering. Continue reading “Article: Crown chairman Helen Coonan admits casino ‘facilitated’ money laundering”

10/19/202003/31/2021

Article: Crown Melbourne casino faces Austrac investigation for potential money laundering breaches

Article - Media, Publications

Crown Melbourne casino faces Austrac investigation for potential money laundering breaches

Anne Davies, 30 March 2021

Crown Resorts is facing a new threat to its casino licences and the prospect of multimillion-dollar fines after it was informed by Austrac, the government agency responsible for anti-money laundering laws that it has identified “potential non-compliance” by Crown Melbourne.

In a release to the ASX, Crown has said the “potential non-compliance includes concerns in relation to ongoing customer due diligence, and adopting, maintaining and complying with an anti-money laundering / counter-terrorism financing program”. Continue reading “Article: Crown Melbourne casino faces Austrac investigation for potential money laundering breaches”

09/23/202005/05/2021

Article: Westpac to pay record $1.3bn fine after money laundering and child exploitation investigation

Article - Media, Publications

Westpac to pay record $1.3bn fine after money laundering and child exploitation investigation

Ben Butler, 23 September 2020

Westpac has agreed to pay a record penalty of $1.3bn to settle legal action over money laundering and child exploitation allegations levelled against it by the financial intelligence agency, Austrac.

The $1.3bn figure is $400m more than the $900m the bank had previously set aside as an estimate of the penalty it would have to pay and comes after the bank said an additional 250 customers made transactions consistent with child exploitation – a dramatic increase on the 12 over which the regulator originally took action.

In a further concession to Austrac, Westpac has also agreed to additional contraventions of anti-money laundering and counter-terror finance laws, the company told the stock exchange on Thursday. Continue reading “Article: Westpac to pay record $1.3bn fine after money laundering and child exploitation investigation”

11/14/201703/13/2021

Article: New York fines Credit Suisse $135 mn over forex manipulation

Article - Media, Publications

New York fines Credit Suisse $135 mn over forex manipulation

Agence France-Presse, 14 November 2017

US regulators hit banking giant Credit Suisse with a $135 million fine to resolve allegations its traders manipulated foreign exchange prices, New York officials announced Monday.

The illicit activity began at least as far back as 2008 through as recently as 2015, and included profiting at clients’ expense and improperly sharing client information, the New York State Department of Financial Services said in a statement.The department’s superintendent Maria Vullo said certain bank executives “deliberately fostered a corrupt culture” which permitted repeated violations of the law and of client trust.The action against Credit Suisse is the latest in a series of agreements by major international banks to settle the investigations by US authorities into the alleged manipulation of the foreign exchange market. In late September, the British bank HSBC agreed to pay $175 million to avoid prosecution. Continue reading “Article: New York fines Credit Suisse $135 mn over forex manipulation”

05/13/201703/08/2021

Article: The real estate industry has escaped compliance of the Anti-Money Laundering Act so far – but experts predict not for long.

Article - Media, Publications

The real estate industry has escaped compliance of the Anti-Money Laundering Act so far – but experts predict not for long.

Compliance Alert, 05 May 2017

Credit Suisse is forecasting $60 billion in new Chinese investment in Australia’s housing market over the next six years, more than double the $28 billion deluge of the past six years. One question is: how much of this is “clean” money? The likely introduction of further money laundering legislation may crimp the flow of Chinese funds. More broadly, it threatens to impose enormous costs on small businesses already foundering under a mountain of compliance paperwork.

This was brought to our attention last week when a fund manager touched base and bewailed, albeit with good reason, how real estate agents were still excluded from all obligations under Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act. Continue reading “Article: The real estate industry has escaped compliance of the Anti-Money Laundering Act so far – but experts predict not for long.”